Seollal hangover lingers as business returns to normal

by Yoo Na-hyun Posted : February 19, 2026, 11:06Updated : February 19, 2026, 11:06
Children eat tteokguk rice cake soup they received at a sharing event during the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District Seoul on Feb 17 2026 AJP Yoo Nahyun
Children eat tteokguk (rice cake soup) they received at a sharing event during the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District, Seoul, on Feb. 17. 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun

SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) -Business resumed across the country following the long-weekend Lunar New Year holiday, as scenes from a traditional festival in central Seoul offered a final glimpse of the season’s festive mood.

The 2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival, themed “Welcoming the Year with Blessings of the Horse,” was held from Feb. 16 to 18 at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District, Seoul. On Feb. 17, the day of the Lunar New Year, organizers hosted a rice cake soup sharing event, marking one of the holiday’s most symbolic moments.

A total of 600 servings of tteokguk were offered free of charge to visitors. Tteokguk, the representative New Year’s dish made by simmering thinly sliced rice cakes in rich beef broth, symbolizes the gaining of a year in age and wishes for prosperity. Participants shared warm bowls of soup while reflecting on the meaning of the holiday.

Throughout the festival, traditional cultural programs were operated, including Seollal-themed quizzes and explanations of ancestral rite tables. Performances blending yeonhui (traditional folk performance), b-boy dance, pansori and taekwondo demonstrations drew crowds, offering a modern reinterpretation of Korean heritage.

Hands-on activities — such as making horse-shaped soap, mother-of-pearl crafts, rice cakes and practicing traditional New Year bows — attracted families to the venue. Visitors also enjoyed folk games set up across the hanok village, embracing the festive atmosphere as the new year began.

As offices reopened and daily routines resumed after the holiday break, the festival served as a quiet bridge between tradition and the return to normal life — a final reminder of Seollal’s spirit before the pace of the city fully picked up again.

A crowd lines up to wait for a rice cake soup sharing event during the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District Seoul on Feb 17 AJP Yoo Nahyun
A crowd lines up to wait for a rice cake soup sharing event during the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District, Seoul, on Feb. 17. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
 
An organizer fills containers with tteokguk rice cake soup during the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District Seoul on Feb 17 2026 AJP Yoo Nahyun
An organizer fills containers with tteokguk (rice cake soup) during the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District, Seoul, on Feb. 17. 2026. AJP Yoo Nahyun
 
A visitor throws yut sticks while playing the traditional game yunnori during the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District Seoul on Feb 17 2026 AJP Yoo Nahyun
A visitor throws yut sticks while playing the traditional game yunnori during the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District, Seoul, on Feb. 17. 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
 
A child shoots an arrow during a traditional archery experience at the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District Seoul on Feb 17 2026 AJP Yoo Na hyun
A child shoots an arrow during a traditional archery experience at the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District, Seoul, on Feb. 17. 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
 
A child plays tuho a traditional arrow-throwing game during the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District Seoul on Feb 17 2026 AJP Yoo Na-hyun
A child plays tuho, a traditional arrow-throwing game, during the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District, Seoul, on Feb. 17. 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
 
Visitors play ddakji a traditional paper-flipping game during the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District Seoul on Feb 17 2026 AJP Yoo Nahyun
Visitors play ddakji, a traditional paper-flipping game, during the “2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival” at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District, Seoul, on Feb. 17. 2026. AJP Yoo Nahyun